Agreed. I'm not saying Ibanez CAN'T handle it, I'm saying its something he's never dealt with before...
Agreed. I'm not saying Ibanez CAN'T handle it, I'm saying its something he's never dealt with before...
Talent usually wins out.
To varying degrees. Roberto Alomar dealt with pressure before becoming a Met....then he collapsed. Same with Jeromy Burnitz. Doesn't mean they will continue to be successful under the new pressure. Doesn't mean they won't either, just something to consider.
Well to be fair about Alomar, he was never the same after he left Cleveland, he never hit over .300 after signing with the Mets. So I dont think it was because of pressure, it was more of the fact injuries+age.
Problem is Alomar was at the end of his career and Burnitz was his normal shitty self in NY. Don't see "pressure" as the culprit. A .287 hitter in a pressure situation shows he can handle it.
Alomar was an MVP candidate his final season with Cleveland, and then came directly to the Mets....
And did nothing for the Mets or after. He felt the pressure of playing for the White Sox? Hardly.
He spent 2 years with the Mets. He was 36 by the time he got to Chicago, and had definitely past his prime. But you don't suddenly DIE. You don't come in 4th in MVP voting one year then his .260 with 11 HR unless theres something going on.
Obviously you do. He spent a season and a half with the Mets. Half of the other season he was in Chicago. That half year in Chicago put him past his prime and not in NY?? Ridiculous. Alomar did nothing after leaving Cleveland with any team, pressure or no pressure. Alomar hit .480 in the '93 World Series for christ's sake. The man was no stranger to pressure. Next you'll be saying Willie Mays fell apart in NY because of pressure.
I believe that Ibanez was a bad signing.
1. Burrell is a better defensive LF (holy crap!) - Ibanez had 9 assists last year, with 5 errors, while Burrell had 12 assists with only 2 errors. Ibanez does have better speed in OF than Burrell, but Burrell has a better arm which is more important in my opinion for a left fielder.
2. Burrell is a better hitter - Last year, Burrell had 33 home runs, opposed to Ibanez's 23. Ibanez had a better average (.293 - .250) but Burrell walked around 40 more times than Ibanez and has a better career OBP (.367) than Ibanez (.346). Burrell does strike out more (136 to 110) but Ibanez still isn't a huge upgrade on Ks
3. Burrell is younger - Burrell is 32 compared to Ibanez being 36. I don't care how fit Ibanez is, 36 is a risk if you are giving him a 3 year, $30 million contract.
I am going to miss Burrell though!